LEED Scorecard

LEED Scorecard

See Below for the New LEED 3.0 Scorecard for 2009 All major rating systems are attached!!!

The scorecard is the backbone of the entire LEED Program. You cannot expect to pass the LEED AP Exam? without memorizing the scorecard; you may as well send me a check for $400 (ok, $300 if you're a USGBC member) and I'll send you a letter that says "thanks, but you failed, so better luck next time." You can head back to LEED Study Habits for some great pointers on memorization techniques.

The point of the scorecard is for a Contractor, Owner or Architect to use as a guide to the LEED Certification process. As the design team incorporates parts of the LEED requirements into the construction documents, you can track expected credits to see where your project stands. It can also be a reality check for some projects with high hopes, but little ability to achieve the Platinum or Gold standards that most owners desire.

It shows the required prerequisites, and credits by sorting them in a way that's easy to qualify. If your project achieves all but one prerequisite, then you can kiss your certification goodbye. No plaques, no awards, no media interviews. Nada. All prerequisites are required for certification. Luckily, most of the prerequisites are incorporated into credits, so for example, if you achieve EAc1 Optimize Energy Performance, in doing so you will fulfill EAp2 Minimum Energy Performance. Also, many states already have requirements that fulfill those of LEED. For example, the state of California has many standards that hold contractors liable to these standards, like SSp1, Construction Activity Pollution Prevention. This is similar to SWPPP, which requires every job to have a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.

Here is a copy of the scorecard for you to print and scribble notes on and use as a guide for your own studying. I really like the PDF version because it breaks down some of the credits in a way that's easier to understand. The Excel version could work for those of you who like to type your notes.

Notice how these are all based on the New Construction rating system. Click the link to compare point breakdown from v2.2 to v3.0 - the old breakdown was up to a total of 69 points. The new system offers a total of 110 points.